United Airlines' Newest Seating Option Offers Comfortable Flights With Open Middle Seats

Frequent fliers know that the middle seat is a rough place to be. In fact, many flight attendants would say it's one of the worst seats to book on a plane. Even if you have a window or aisle seat, having someone in the middle of your row can make the flight feel cramped. However, starting in 2027, United Airlines will offer seats in a new format in Economy Plus for certain long-haul international flights. In these rows, the middle seat won't be occupied. Instead, there will be a permanent tray that will be shared between passengers in the row's window and aisle seats. While these spots will cost a bit more than your average economy seat, there will be more room for your arms and legs – and space is certainly at a premium on a long-haul flight. 

These new rows will only be available on the new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, and you'll be able to book them later in 2026, though there isn't a firm date yet. However, note that the tray table in the middle seat area can't be moved, so while you may be able to spread out a bit more, and your legs will have more room, you can't quite take up half the middle seat as you often can when it's just not occupied. The news comes along with an announcement of United's new non-stop routes from Newark International Airport (EWR) to certain cities in Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, and Italy.

According to a United Airlines press release from July 2026, one row on the XLR aircraft will feature "custom-designed tables stretching from armrest to armrest across the open middle seats, giving customers sitting in the window or aisle seat extra space to stretch out on longer international flights." There are also two spots for drinks on the tray. There are 50 such planes in United's fleet, and there will reportedly be one of these new rows on each one of them. Additionally, the airline is considering them for other models as well. 

For the few customers who will be able to access this (as it's only limited to a single row and is more expensive), it will likely be nice not to have mere inches between your body and your seatmate's. However, you may be better off trying to find an emptier flight with an unoccupied middle seat, so the armrests can be put up and stretching out is a bit easier.

All of this comes a few months after United Airlines revealed its upcoming Relax Rows on certain long-haul flights, where the row turns into a couch so you can sleep. However, if this is outside of your budget once it's released, make sure to try these flight attendant-approved tips to make your trip more comfortable.